Preparing Students for Industry by Integrating Commercial Software into Coursework

The “automation” of engineering tasks has been an issue in engineering education since at least the time of the first handheld calculator. Whether or not to require the use of “trig tables” is an argument settled long ago, but the role of software in engineering education continues to be a topic of discussion. This paper presents one model that addresses this topic from the development of the textbook all the way through the delivery of the student experience by individual faculty members. In this case, text book authors partnered successfully with an engineering software company and continue to work with instructors of the course to close the loop on the educational experience. The authors worked to integrate software seamlessly into a traditional text that has been successful over six previous editions. The result was a simple integration with no additional costs or contracts. Since downloads of the software are tracked by the software company, use of the software can be monitored, support can be provided, and the feedback loop can be closed to improve not only the learning experience, but also the textbook and the software. The intention of this paper is to share one model for updating a text and a course to bring more practical application without losing the foundational work that supports it. This approach can result in a tremendous enhancement to a text, without requiring that instructors make a dramatic shift in their syllabi or teaching approach. It also yields the opportunity to close the loop with instructors who have adopted the text by providing feedback on the acceptance of the software as a viable component of the course.